Stcphen henry emmens



(No Model.)

S. H. EMMENS. GUN AND PROJBOTILE FOR HIGH EXPLOSIVES. No. 409,943. I Patented Aug. 27, 1889.

witweowo amuawto'o 6, STEPHEN HENRY Emma/vs UNITED STATES PATENT OEETcE.

STEPHEN II. EMMENS, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

GUN AND PROJEC TILE FOR HIGH EXPLOSIVES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 409,943, dated August 27, 1889. Application filed June 14, 1888. Serial No. 277 098- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, STEPHEN HENRY EM- MENS, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, and a resident of London, England, temporarily at Harrison, in the State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for Utilizing High Explosives in arfare, (No. 2,) of which the following is a specification.

This invention is additional to my improvement in apparatus for utilizing high explosives in warfare set forth in my specification forming part of an application for United States Letters Patent filed January 27, 1888, Serial No. 262,172.

The present apparatus is especially designed and adapted for use by infantry and on small boats; and the present invention consists in a novel combination of parts hereinafter set forth and claimed, whereby I am enabled to lighten the apparatus to any required extent and to support a relatively short powder-tube for the propelling-charge within the guidebore of the torpedo by means of a tube in line therewith, which incloses the firing device, and is in turn supported by a simple stock in the form of a stake or the like.

A drawing accompanies this specification as part thereof.

The figure represents an elevation of a torpedo-gun and a bird-torpedo, partly in longitudinal section, illustrating this invention.

The firing mechanism, as I term it, which especially distinguishes the present Weapon, comprises a wooden stock A, fitting into and supporting a metallic tube B, and axially perforated and slotted at its front end to accommodate within said tube a rod 0, which is bent at right angles at its rear end to form a trigger D, that projects outward through a bayonet-joint slot a in the stock A and tube B. The front end of said rod 0 is fixed in a piston E, which carries a firing-pin F, and between said piston and the front end of the stock A is a spiral spring 3; hence when the trigger D is pulled back and turned into the holding-notch of the bayonet-joint slot a said spring .9 is compressed, and when the trigger is released the spring urges forward the piston E, with its firing-pin F, to explode the propelling-charge I This is contained within a short gun-cartridge shell or powder-tube G, which fits into the front end of said tube B and is coupled thereto by a pair of bayonetjoints 17. Preferably the powder-tube, as it is hereinafter termed, is provided with a primer-recess F in its breech end and with an axial ignition-tube H, extending forward from said primer-recess to the front of the propelling-charge. The latter may be of any suitable explosive. The ignition-tube is filled with gunpowder, and the rccessF is provided with asuitablepercussion-primer. \Vhen the. latter is exploded by the firing-pin F, a sheet of flame is produced within the tube II, which ignites the propelling-charge P at its front end, so as to insure its perfect combustion and an effective discharge of the weapon.

The bird-torpedo comprises a tube I, fitting closely over said tubes G and B and plugged at its forward end by the screw-stem of a conoidal torpedo-head J. In an external annular charge-space immediately behind the head and around said tube I cartridges of emmensite or other high explosive are arranged side by side to form the high-explosive charge X.' By using cartridges of different lengths the size of the high-explosive charge may be varied to any required extent. These cartridges are held in position by a collar K and a cylindrical jacket L, and they are fired by a time-fuse M. The rear end of the torpedotube I is provided with three equidistant wings N. An annular screen 0 is fitted to the tube B immediately in front of the trigger D to protect the hand of the person discharging the weapon from any escape of heated gases between said tubes B and I.

The figure shows the Weapon planted in the ground for firing; but it will be understood that any other mode of mounting may be employed-as, for example, the stock may be clamped in a holding-tube on an ordinary swivel-stand or gnnwale attachment.

I do not claim herein, broadly, the combination of a gun having apowder-tube which contains the propelling-charge, and an externallyapplied thimble-shaped projectile having an annular charge-space for high explosives, an axial guide-bore fitted to said tube, and a head which masks both the guide-bore and the charge-space in front, substantially as hereir1- before specified, because the same are claimed in my previous specification forming part of said application Serial No. 262,1'72,' (Patent No. 391052;) nor in combination with a thimble-shaped projectile having an axial guidebore, a gun having a short cylindrical powder-tube, a firing device tube, and coupling devices uniting said tubes end to end, all of Which are externally fitted to said guide-bore, a suitable stock to which said firing device tube is attached, inclose'd axial firing devices, and a suitable cocking and firing trigger, the latter projecting near the stock end of said firing device tube, whereby the gun is adapted to carry an externallyapplied projectile longer than the powder-tube, substantially as hereinloeforespecified. This combination is claimed by me in another application, Serial Having thus described my said improvement in apparatus for utilizing high explosives in Warfare, (N o. 2,) I claim as my invention and desire to patent under this specification In combination with a thimble-shaped projectile having an axial guide-tube open at its rear end and surrounded by an annular charge-space for high explosives, a short powder-tube and a tube inclosing a firing device coupled together end to end and fitted to the interior of said guide-tube, and a stock fitted at its front end to the rear end of said firing device tube, substantially as hereinbefore specified.

STEPHEN H. EMMENS.

\Vitnesses:

SAMUEL B. HAMBURG, HUGH HENRY. 

